


They Heard the Words

by oihermione



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Ficlet, I still don't understand terminology I'm sorry, There is no consistency, mostly emotionally driven I'm sorry, mostly sshg drabbles/ficlets?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24688954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oihermione/pseuds/oihermione
Summary: I wrote a series of drabbles/ficlets(?) inspired by various songs across multiple genres. Each chapter will be a song title and will include a link to the song if you would like to listen! A majority of these will be SSHG but some are only Snape-focused. Some of them may end up becoming more in the future, who knows? I certainly don't.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape
Comments: 56
Kudos: 31





	1. Danny's Song

**Author's Note:**

> Song inspiration: [Danny's Song](https://open.spotify.com/track/0ju1jP0cSPJ8tmojYBEI89?si=Sn4nKfCrRlKco7WCR7pR5g), Loggins & Messina

Severus walked slowly up and down each aisle, pulling items from shelves that were written on his half of the list. He smiled fondly at the neat handwriting, specifically where she had underlined _sticky toffee pudding_ three times. Rounding the last corner and finding exactly what he was looking for, he stowed it safely in the front of his cart. 

The local supermarket in the muggle town they had come to reside in was rather small, as such, the past few months had been full of meeting people that they became rather familiar with quickly. Alaric, one of the younger staff, was stocking shelves as he passed by. He had taken notice of Severus in the past so he wasn’t all too surprised when the boy turned to him and grinned after glancing into his cart. 

“She still on that?” 

“Quite stuck to it, I’m afraid.” 

Alaric laughed and returned to his work while Severus made his way back up to the till. 

“There you are!” Hermione appeared from the next aisle, she seemed to be out of breath, leaning on her own cart for support. Smirking at her, he helped pile everything onto the conveyor belt and pulled out his wallet to pay. They were both out of work at the moment and their combined savings had not been getting them _quite_ as far as he had hoped, but they were getting by. 

“Do you all need help getting this to your car?” The poor girl always asked, likely out of pity. He was aware of his slight limp, as were most of the townfolk, and Hermione wasn’t in the best condition to be carrying much either but they had always managed. 

“No, no, we’ve got it,” his wife had responded before he even had a chance to open his mouth. 

He followed after her, she had taken the cart with their combined selections and walked without missing a beat. She started to slow some, he knew it was to give him time to catch up to her. They silently loaded the old used car that had been left for them by her parents years ago.

Car rides with Hermione were delightful, she often looked out the window, lost in thought, and he was able to steal glances at this beautiful woman admiring the vastness of the world around her. Despite the fact that they always drove through the same areas, she had always found something new to point out. 

It was during one of these ‘lost in thought’ moments that she spoke, still looking out the window. 

“Have you given any more thought to names, Severus?” 

He had, in fact, he had given it a great deal of thought.

“I have,” he stopped there, smiling inwardly as he knew this would madden her. 

“Well, would you care to share with the class?” She did sound mildly irritated, he glanced over again and saw she had a brow raised reminiscent of his own often cocked brow. 

It wouldn’t hurt to suggest, he supposed. “Perhaps, after your father? Daniel, Danny for short? I can’t think of anyth—,” bugger it all, she was crying. No, sobbing. 

“Sorry Hermione, I thought you would like it.” 

“You idiot, of course, I like it!” She was still crying when she choked out, “I love you so much, honey.” 

Bewildered, especially at the usage of honey, she had never used that term of endearment before. He slowed the car as they approached a light and chanced a look at her, “I love you too, dear?” 

Finally pulling herself together after the car began to move again, he heard her take a deep breath. “Could you stop to get some sushi on the way home?”

“I thought you said you couldn’t have sushi?”

“Yes, but you could have some for me, right?” 

And it was in the little moments such as this that reminded him why he had fallen in love with the witch sitting in the car next to him.


	2. Landslide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Landslide](https://open.spotify.com/track/5ihS6UUlyQAfmp48eSkxuQ?si=TQSndHQpQvqaoYKTGcrD1w), Fleetwood Mac

The platform felt emptier than usual, though he was accustomed to entering the barrier alone. Lily was standing not too far away, preparing to board the train while she said her goodbyes to her parents. He turned quickly to enter the train through another entrance further down when he heard his name shouted from across the platform. Flinching, he stopped in his tracks but did not turn around.

“Severus!” Evan Rosier came jogging up, “We have a compartment in the back. See you in a bit, yeah?” Before he had a chance to respond, Rosier was gone again and Severus felt uncomfortably alone again. He stole one last glance at where Lily stood; she was talking to James and his crew of miscreants now, he scowled and took a step forward, dragging his worn trunk behind him. 

“Severus, dear, do you have a moment?” 

He turned slowly, though he recognized the warm matronly voice plain as day. 

“We saw the news of your parents in the paper.” Lily’s father spoke empathetically, as her mum walked up to him and patted his face before letting her hand set lightly upon his cheek. 

“I don’t know what exactly happened with you and Lily, Severus, but know that if you ever need a _thing_ we are still here for you.” She released his face after a moment and he said nothing, unable to form the words. 

Her father stepped forward and clapped a large hand on his shoulder, “She’s right, you know where to find us, son.” 

They had started to walk away but he staggered forward, despite the voice in his head, and said the only thing he could think of to the two people that had treated him as their own son for several years. 

“Thank you.” 

He hoped his face conveyed all the emotions he had been holding in, it was the first time he had let his guard down in the past four months. He knew they believed him when her mum came back and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh dear, don’t you cry on us Severus, we’ll cry too.” She had spoken too soon, as the woman had let out a small cry mid-sentence. “You’ll have to send us one of those school owls if you ever need to talk!” 

The woman held on to him longer than he had ever been held in his life. At some point, he opened his eyes, peering across the barrier, now nervous that anyone would see the newly sworn-in Death Eater hugging a muggle. 

But what he saw instead was decidedly worse: Lily and James were holding hands and Sirius _bloody_ Black had seen him looking. The boy pulled a face at him before turning to laugh with his friends. He pulled away from the woman quickly and mumbled an apology. 

“Sorry, I need to…” He didn’t finish his sentence and instead yanked his trunk around and dragged it up the steps with him onto the train. 

Deciding that it was for the best, he did not look back at the parents that he had always wanted and plodded his way to the back of the train where he was certain his future lay. 


	3. Moondance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Moondance](https://open.spotify.com/track/683b4ikwa62JevCjwrmfg6?si=wBTKnjE4QlmKABwzGmvyIQ), Van Morrison

Cawfields Quarry was near where he had grown up, he had spent many nights with Lily stargazing in the open fields near Hadrian’s Wall. The muggles had always been under the impression that it was built to separate the Romans from barbarians when it had in fact been built to separate the earliest wizarding population from Roman Britain, before the Statute of Secrecy had been fully enforced. 

It was a beautiful area, and despite the muggle tourists, he and Lily always managed to scurry past the traditional areas for picnics and deeper into the field where no others were in sight. He had not felt the desire to return until someone had given him a reason to share his favorite spot to stargaze. 

“Are you thinking of her?” 

“What?” 

He had apparated them there late in the evening, the sun had just begun to set. In a brief wave of nostalgia, he was nervous at having told her how he knew of the place, now, but she did not seem upset when she asked.

“Lily. Are you remembering the time you spent together?” 

“Yes.” He looked down at the ground briefly before staring up at the cloudless sky, shades of pink and orange decorated the horizon. It was the precise picturesque beauty that he remembered from his childhood. 

“That’s good, Severus. Her memory is always allowed to live within you, you know that?” 

He looked down at her saying nothing; her caramel locks were breathtaking in the setting sun, the wind lightly blew a few strands across her face. Reaching over he pulled her closer with one arm and used the other to brush her hair back.

“Dance with me, Severus?” 

And so he did, he held her until the moon was high above them and the stars stretched on for miles but all that mattered was the beautiful witch in his arms. 

“I love you, Hermione.” 

“I love you too, Severus.”


	4. No Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [No Rain](https://open.spotify.com/track/6txWz9UapYHVxEd7dDIHXT?si=29AhB1b6RiaTIBfzqjEKYg), Blind Melon

Sinistra spoke to him some when he first started, likely out of pity in their being the only two Slytherin on the staff. Though she had been there nearly as long as Minerva had, the rest of his coworkers had come to trust her with time, he supposed. She kept her head down, as Slytherin’s tend to do, and it’s quite possible they had forgotten she was even in Slytherin to begin with. 

Now he, on the other hand, not only had to deal with being a Slytherin on the staff, but also one of the youngest professors ever employed at Hogwarts, _and_ being labeled as an ex-Death Eater. 

Albus had sworn him into the Order of the Phoenix not long after Halloween, much to the distress of literally everyone in the wretched organization. He then was asked to assume the post of Potions Master, which he had readily accepted if it meant protection from the rest of Voldemort’s followers. It had visibly altered the number of students attending Hogwarts for a few years, despite Albus’ strong endorsement of his upstanding character and other rubbish. 

Minerva had especially fought against his hiring, she had tolerated him as a student but as a fresh teacher, she had hated him. 

Until she didn’t. 

Perhaps it was the first time he had taken fifty points from Slytherin, though he had been well aware had she gotten words out a moment sooner, it would have been closer to a hundred. Though he recalled an evening a few weeks later when she had been furious with him; she had left the hall in an uproar claiming she was going to have his job. 

He saw her the next morning and she hadn’t said a word, if anything she was kinder to him than he had ever experienced, though it was just the action of passing him marmalade without his request. 

From thereon, they eventually grew to be friends. A bet on the house cup each year, quidditch matches here and there, and they typically had tea on Tuesday evenings before they did their rounds; it had evolved to a friendship that he valued dearly. Minerva had become his saving grace in the otherwise terrible position that Dumbledore had put him in. She had never explained precisely why she had become friendly with him to begin with, but he had his assumptions.

“Severus, are you going to stare out at the rain all night, or are you going to play?”

He scowled at her as he reached across the board, “Check.” 


	5. Fire and Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Fire and Rain](https://open.spotify.com/track/3LcYYV9ozePfgYYmXv0P3r?si=_rp7GwjiRE2wobvrA-_-Ng), James Taylor

It had been an accident, they said. 

He hardly left his house. It wasn’t as if anyone would check on him. 

She would have though; she would have come to see him, she would have been worried.

They had traveled far and wide together as Unspeakables, and initially, he had despised having her as a partner but they had grown on one another with time. Their projects were always hailed as great successes: new magicks emerging, new methods of healing being developed, prophecies were reclassified; there was not a thing they were unable to do or solve together. 

He blamed them all, it was why he left. It was their fault they had separated them after they had failed to meet _one_ deadline. It was to be temporary. He was assigned an older fellow that had been with the department for what seemed like centuries. 

They gave her a young lad with bright eyes and a hopeful outlook on life. It was everything in him to not hex the boy each day he saw them together… He felt irrationally possessive, though he did not understand why, until one evening when he thought the office was empty while finishing up his paperwork. 

“Severus, what are you still doing here?” He had whipped around quickly, nearly falling from his seat at the sound of her voice. 

“Granger… Just finishing up some write-offs,” she had given him a half-smile as he rubbed his temple. They had always completed their write-offs together, his new partner passed all the work onto Severus, claiming seniority. 

“Well come on, finish it in the morning. Let’s grab a bite and catch up, I hate to admit I miss your deprecating attitude.” And so he had agreed, without any reluctance much to her surprise he later discovered. 

Following that night they began to spend many evenings together. 

But when he had finally realized his feelings and planned on acting on them, it was too late. 

Coming into work one morning he expected to see her bright face looking up at him as usual when he strode past her office, but she was nowhere to be found. 

Later that day they pulled him in. 

It had been an accident, they said. 


	6. Killing Me Softly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Killing Me Softly](https://open.spotify.com/track/3gsCAGsWr6pUm1Vy7CPPob?si=NdMxhp-3TCWsUCrT9bdSGg), Roberta Flack

It wasn’t that she did not have feelings for Ron. It was more complicated than that. She had always loved him in a sense, but she had come to realize with age that he would never meet the same pattern of thought that she was searching for. 

Despite its controversial status, the revealing spell that Sashema, the famed Arithmancer, had invented for identifying one’s true soulmate had been proven to work on many. 

And so, against her better judgment, she had used it. 

Yet nothing had happened, not to her. No matter who she spoke to, her Sashema line never glowed as it should when she was near one she thought could be her soulmate. She traveled to various areas of the world, hoping that she would catch the person by chance. It was a daily routine for her to sit in extremely public areas where strangers would pass, she would keep glancing from the pedestrians to her arm, hoping the line would glow. There were many times that she thought there may have been a spark, a brief glow that would cause her to stand in a panic, but it always ended up being a trick of the light, or perhaps a trick of her mind. 

After nearly three years of this madness, she finally came to terms with herself. She was destined to be alone, it seemed.

She had accepted an offer from Minerva to teach Arithmancy at Hogwarts. All the professors were single, widowed, or widowers; she would fit in perfectly. 

It was dusk when she found herself strolling across the grounds on her third evening since arriving back into the castle. That was the first evening she saw him sitting beneath the whomping willow. 

A curious apparition from a distance, as it was darker than the non-corporeal forms of the ghosts she typically saw at Hogwarts. Approaching cautiously, unsure whether or not it would be able to harm her, she suddenly recognized the form. 

“Professor Snape...?” 

She watched as he looked up at her from his hunched posture and made eye contact with her; a man that had died before her very eyes 15 years ago. Nearly ten seconds passed before he vanished. 

It was then, from the corner of her eye, that she noticed a bright glow emitting from her wrist. 


	7. The Boxer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [The Boxer](https://open.spotify.com/track/76TZCvJ8GitQ2FA1q5dKu0?si=ESOOc5eUTj22pJ7nw1z2uQ), Simon & Garfunkel

He approached the abandoned courtyard cautiously, it wasn’t quite after hours but he still was nervous they’d be caught. This is where Rosier told him to meet them… He shivered. It was nearing winter and he disliked the cold. 

“Ah, there you are Severus.” 

Rosier rounded the corner, he was holding a sheet of parchment, Mulciber and Goyle flanked him. He stood straighter, refusing to show his anxiety. The five years prior to this he had spent as mere roommates to them, they hardly tolerated him, much less included him unless they wanted a punching bag. 

“You turn seventeen in a couple of months, ain’t that right?” He nodded apprehensively at the brutish-looking boy.

“Good, Malfoy said the Dark Lord needed more brains. He told him that you were really good at potions and that pleased him somewhat, though he’s not too keen on gettin’ a half-blood it’s better than no blood,” he spat at this, muttering something under his breath, though Severus thought he knew what. 

It was a choice he had already made, it hadn’t been all too difficult with his parents gone and with the loss of his best friend. He had thought everyone despised him until Malfoy had invited him to spend the summer at his home. It took all the convincing he needed, a place where he would be accepted, where he was needed. 

“Malfoy said you needed to teach me things first,” he scratched at his neck, apprehensive but attempting to seem casual. 

“Aye, we do. Those Gryffindor pricks that were always tossin’ you around. We’ll show you how to really deal with scum like them.” Severus knew how to deal with scum like them… he just didn’t want to be expelled from Hogwarts. The thought caused him to nervously shift his bag’s position on his shoulder, knowing it carried his notes on experimental spells. 

Mulciber stepped forward and pulled out his wand, “Ready to practice, Snape?” 

_Fuck_. 


	8. The Boy with the Thorn in His Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [The Boy with the Thorn in His Side](https://open.spotify.com/track/1SuVJpFhGQOSBAB6VUpHYH?si=tA9QKDiNQWCwdB_n-ozvrw), The Smiths

Their first week hadn’t been that bad, all things considered. He had yet to make a friend in his own house; since he-who-must-not-be-named was rumored to be recruiting new followers, everyone had been discreet regarding their stance within the walls of the Slytherin common room. 

He did not win any points by any means by keeping his steadfast friendship with Lily Evans. She had been waiting for him that first morning in the Great Hall, as she was every morning after. It hadn’t won her many points with Gryffindor at first, but her pleasantness aside from his existence had gifted her with friends, easily. 

She sat with him in Potions and Herbology, and they spent all of their breaks together in that first month. Eventually, she began to make close friends across the houses, Marlene McKinnon of Hufflepuff and Dorcas Meadowes of Ravenclaw, who seemed to readily detest him, but Lily did not take notice of this. 

They had created a schedule to spend time together, but they no longer attempted to eat meals together as they got funny looks no matter what table they tried to sit at together. 

It was one of those evenings where he had tried to seclude himself at the Slytherin table for dinner, but his fellow first years had surrounded him. They had all been joking about this, that, and the other, and he had paid them no attention until he heard his name. 

“Yeah, Snape only hangs out with Gryffindors, haven’t you all noticed?” 

“ _One_ Gryffindor.” 

“That little redhead, isn’t it Severus?” 

He ignored them, stabbing at his food. This wasn’t the first time they had taunted him about Lily. Another girl had piped up from his opposite side, “I heard she’s a mudblood, too, isn’t that right, Snape?” 

Slamming both his hands down on the table he pulled himself up from the table. This resulted in the boy on his left having pumpkin juice spilled down his front, which in turn made him pull himself up from the table with a quickness. 

“Oi, Snape! Not so fast!” The boy had pulled out his wand and shouted something unintelligible; before he could react, he was dancing and the entire Great Hall seemed to be laughing at him. 

Before he knew it, Lily had rushed over from the Gryffindor table, releasing him from the spell and shoving at the Slytherin boy that had cast it. He heard the word mudblood spat from his mouth and hadn’t thought twice before throwing a punch. 

Four years down the line, he sat outside the painting of the Fat Lady, half-asleep, wondering if— or more, hoping that— Lily remembered that night he’d punched a Slytherin for her.


	9. Your Smiling Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Your Smiling Face](https://open.spotify.com/track/0z1MCtPlHy0x1g0XojaduR?si=O_DBE8lARN-586vhNKViYg), James Taylor

“Not a good idea, Severus.” 

He looked over at his coworker, Taylor Blevins. They had been Unspeakables for nearly five years now but the man really liked to poke into his business. 

“What on earth are you talking about, Taylor?” Raising a brow at him before taking one last glance at his latest partner who gave him a quick smile before leaving. 

“I’m talking about that!” He nodded toward the back of the woman in question, “Don’t fall for your partner, Severus. It won’t end well.” 

He rolled his eyes, falling for her… Not likely. 

It wasn’t long until he began to realize how right Blevins had been about his potential feelings towards Hermione Granger. She was brilliant, his most capable and intelligent partner yet. He had managed to scare off the past twelve, much to the dismay of his superiors. 

Hermione had come in later than normal the following morning, hair a little tousled and he became mildly jealous at the sight; that was the first sign. 

“Granger.” 

“Well, good morning to you too, Severus,” she spoke cheerfully despite his shortness, giving him her brightest smile, which was odd to him given the earliness of the hour. He couldn’t find it in him to say anything that would keep her from smiling.

A few days later she arrived in less than a good mood, in fact, she was downright unpleasant. She had been snappish about some paperwork and he hadn’t been able to snap back properly as he should have. That was probably the second sign, and unfortunately for him, the third also fell on that day. 

He had recalled seeing her a few times in the past biting on Sugar Quills as she worked, so he had made a quick trip out of the Ministry during his lunch to grab a Deluxe Box. Extremely thankful that when he returned she was not around, he placed them nonchalantly on her desk, grabbing a handful for himself before returning to his work. 

She had arrived not even three minutes later, laying her scarf on her desk across the room. It was quite a mess from the experiments that they had been trying the past few weeks and they were now at a stopping point but had yet to clean up the havoc. 

“Severus, do you know who dropped these off?” 

He barely looked up from his work before giving her a brief shake of the head, bending his neck closer to the lens in which he had been peering through. 

Taking a quick glance back up, he noticed she had taken one out and her smile had returned to her face as she nibbled on the quill while she worked, his own lips quirked upward before forcing himself to continue his work. 

The fourth sign took place the morning she hadn’t come in at all. After nearly two hours of waiting, he had grabbed his jacket and left, giving a quick word to Taylor so they wouldn’t be missed. 

Unsure where to find her, he started by apparating to her small flat that she had disclosed to him when they became partners. Glancing around, he approached the door cautiously, knocking it after only a moment’s hesitation. There was no sound.

Turning to leave, figuring he could send her a Patronus to check-in, he heard a muffled sob from around the corner. Steeling himself, he set out to find who the cries belonged to, very sure of his gut feeling at the source. 

“Hermione?” 

She looked up quickly, wiping her eyes with her hands, “Oh, Severus. I’m so sorry, I should have sent an owl, I’m no—,” she stopped, mid-sentence, likely because of the out of character behavior he had just exhibited in pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her. He found himself acting more out of character by sitting beside her. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes, just… I get too worked up over things that shouldn’t affect me at all.” 

He nodded, “When you let yourself get worked up over things, it does tend to affect you.” 

She had partially sobbed and snorted in response, that was a start. 

“Here,” he pulled a few of the spare sugar quills he had kept from his coat pocket. 

She squinted at him before accepting it, “It _was_ you _.”_ He chuckled softly, watching her unwrap it and pop it into her mouth. Her smile was partially back now and the tears had dried some. 

“Is there anything else I can do?” 

“Nothing of consequence, I suppose. What are you doing here, Severus?” 

“I just wanted to check-in, but then—,” he paused. No, he wouldn’t tell her. 

“But then, what?” 

She had completely stopped crying now. What had this woman done to him? 

“You weren’t smiling.” 


	10. Jolene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Jolene](https://open.spotify.com/track/2SpEHTbUuebeLkgs9QB7Ue?context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A37i9dQZF1DX81OGZHvMCGG&si=NuwhCyuyS_yTj852QHIh4A), Dolly Parton

It was several years after the war when Hermione Granger was told that Severus Snape was attempting to create a cure for the effects of a long-term cruciatus curse. Minerva had recommended she assist him, her expertise in arithmantic predictions alongside his own expertise would certainly produce results. She had reluctantly agreed to Minerva’s wishes, but getting Severus on board proved to be quite difficult. 

Eventually, owing to some gentle persuasion on Minerva’s part, he had allowed her to join him in his research. He had made it clear it was against his wishes on all counts, but he did not contradict her own contributions. 

If anything, their working relationship was strained initially but it evolved into a mutual partnership that they both respected. 

And with time, that partnership grew into a valued friendship. 

It took nearly two years of research, experiments, and trials for them to admit it was more than a friendship, or a cure, that they had created together. 

They had named their cure the _Islah Alwahe_ draught; presumably, a calculated amount of the concoction followed by a watchful eye to ensure the person did not become dehydrated over the course of several days would effectively cure those damaged by the Cruciatus curse. 

In public, they had maintained it was their greatest accomplishment, but at home, their domestic bliss said otherwise. Severus made her happier than she had ever been, and it seemed she had done so in return.

In the planning of conducting human trials, Neville had recommended they test the Islah Alwahe on his parents first. It took time to tweak the amounts needed for both Frank and Alice, but once they got it right, the results were favorable and showed no side-effects, thus far.

After nearly two weeks of nursing them and getting their bodies back up to strength, they showed no signs of ever being in the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s.

It was as though they had been locked in their minds and were finally free to be reunited with their son. They were ecstatic with their results, though Severus was less so when Neville saw fit to throw his arms around the poor man. 

Harry was thrilled to volunteer for them to use the draught on his mother in their next trial. Severus was less excited, in fact, he seemed to detest the idea. 

“She is too far gone… she was under the effects for far longer and by Voldemort himself. It would be a miracle if she were to wake up, let alone return to her former self.” 

“But it’s a miracle we owe Harry to try, Severus.” 

He sat on the edge of their bed, elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. She wasn’t sure how to best approach the topic each time Lily came up. He had long ago confessed what he had done to lose her friendship, but she felt there was more he hadn’t let on. Thinking it best to let his past lie until he was prepared to reveal it on his own, she did not push the matter further. 

Hermione peeled back the sheet and crawled over to him from behind, wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders, knees touching the base of his spine. He sat still until she lifted one hand to wrap around his, still cupping his face. Releasing his face with one hand, he pulled hers to his lips, kissing it gently. He left her hand pressed there for some time; they remained laced like this, her forehead resting on the nape of his neck, holding him and being held in return, taking in the pure comfort of the other. 

“What world will she return to, Hermione?” 

A whirlwind of thoughts passed. A world where her husband had died, his sacrifice protecting Harry, where all of her friends had died during the war, even her muggle sister had been murdered in Voldemort’s search for Harry. A world where her son had been raised by Andromeda Tonks, an extremely distant relative to the Potter family, but still the nearest living relative to James that was not on the wrong side of the war; where her son did not know her and would never know his father. A world where her son was already an adult with a career, who was scarred heavily both physically and emotionally during the trials of a war he had been born into and had to end. 

_All that despair, and yet…_

“A world with hope, Severus.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS DID NOT go in the direction I intended and just may end up being something I expand on.


	11. Wildflowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Wildflowers](https://open.spotify.com/track/27876bQcDNkZhWqvF0zfFN?si=qD40zN9DRpuU5n0GxU3lUA), Dolly Parton

His father never let him back into muggle school after he started showing signs of magic, his mum taught him what she could, giving him all of her old texts that he consumed greedily but only when his father was out at the pub. 

All of his hopes, desires, and dreams were at Hogwarts, he just _knew_ it. 

Until Lily. 

He had never had a friend before, so in his eyes, she was the image of perfection. Most of his days were spent in the Evans household, his parents rarely noticed he was missing, and if they did, they did not comment on it. 

“How are your parents doing, Severus?” Lily’s father asked him as they ate. They always set a place for him now, expecting him to show without question.

“Er, they’re alright. I think dad’s looking for a new job since I haven’t seen him around much… mum’s been sleeping a lot,” he kept his eyes on his plate as he spoke. Poking at his food uncomfortably as he finished his response; he didn’t like discussing them much, especially when Lily’s sister kept giving him disgusting looks from across the table. 

Lily seemed to sense his unease and interjected before her dad could respond, “Oh mum! You’ll never believe this, tell them about nifflers, Sev!” 

He grinned at her, thankful for the change in topic. 

Later that day they had wandered to the park, she continued to ask questions until she could think of none. Their time together finally dwindled down as the sun began to set, he started to walk her home and saw a few wildflowers growing alongside the road. 

“Do you think your parents would like these?” He bent down and plucked a few from the ground, and held them out for her to see. 

“I think they would!” Taking one from him, she tucked it behind her ear and skipped further up the sidewalk, “Come on, Severus!” 

Grinning, he jogged after his best friend, a bouquet of wildflowers in his grasp. 


	12. Make It With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Make It With You](https://open.spotify.com/track/7wWw7hBmErNg9u5w6Xx0vy?si=58O_FnNGRnOL3HApiCFz6A), Bread

A rare evening out, she had expected something simple, that was what she was accustomed to. Simple was what they usually went for, given the complexity of the start of their relationship.

Yet he had insisted on her dressing up and he was in his nicest muggle suit. As they walked, she waited for him to turn into the town nearby for one of the local diners they visited on occasion, however, he was taking her to the apparition point outside their property line. She looked suspiciously up at him as he held his arm out to her. 

“What, don’t you trust me?” 

“Of course I do, I’m just curious is all.” 

“You are always curious, my love, can I not surprise you for once?” Smiling up at the sharp face of the man she loved, she set her palm gently on his face. 

“Just this once, I suppose.” He bent down and kissed her softly before whisking her away into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two shorter than usual but it's what the songs told me to do, oops~


	13. Annie's Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: [Annie's Song](https://open.spotify.com/track/5qxFudz7A6PGptviHsz4Yd?si=yUkZKO7DTbiYAUx2hY7kOg), John Denver

“I thought we were collecting ingredients, Severus?” 

He had stopped to inspect the various plant life surrounding them as they strode deeper into the forested area, none of which to her knowledge had been common ingredients in any of the potions they had been brewing in the small apothecary. 

He did not respond; she stepped forward to look at his face, following his eyes to see where he was squinting through the trees. 

“Severus, are you alright?” 

Clearly spotting what he had been looking for, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along, much to her amazement. _He had never touched her willingly…_

They emerged into a small clearing where she saw–

“Gardenia?” 

“You said they were your favorite.” 

_Oh._

“Hermione, I must confess something…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also posted this one with a moodboard on Tumblr [here](https://snapegranger.tumblr.com/post/622136549275058176/i-thought-we-were-collecting-ingredients)!


End file.
